idosubaru

they need to have synthetic oil all their lives. i'm not super familiar with turbos and i think they all have it, but maybe not - but if yours does, check the oil screens and remove/replace/clean them. they are problematic and cause big issues. replace the timing belt kit - belt, tensioner, and pulleys. gates kits are only $130 on amazon for all that. you're beyond age and mileage of the timing belt. you're in the northwest - prices will be inflated over everywhere else (except Denver LOL) maine is #32 in per capita income, washington is #12, economy of scale in a subaru-rich environment - the market will look different as an illustration.

EMPI was touted, but there were a couple of reported failures. a search will show brands people like. i would favor responses from those that have done countless axles. "I've used these axles twice" anecdotal responses have no statistical validity and don't help the axle debacle. i'm sure you know this but getting used low mileage OEM Subaru axles and rebooting them is cheap, better quality boots than aftermarket, 100% repeatable, and they'll last the life of the vehicle if properly maintained. www.car-part.com

i wonder if the lines or ATF cooler in the radiator are clogged and starving the transmission(s) of oil? i've heard a transmission when it's low on oil and it'll start with a chirp, chirp sound. never heard one for more than a few seconds at idle that was never driven so i don't know what would happen if driven like that, but it would get worse quickly. was the original torque converter used or did the new transmission come with one? are you under the impression it's failing the same way/similar ways as the previous transmission? how many miles did you put on the first transmission that blew up? 1. maybe the rear differential doesn't have the same final drive ratio as the transmission and it's tearing things up. 2. all the tires are the exact same size?

Get a good vehicle - private owner sale is my favorite as you actually know something about the car and can get a feel very quickly on if they're honest, straight forward, or shady, hard to communicate, don't answer questions/calls, etc. 1996 and earlier legacy and impreza engines are awesome. don't overheat or run them low on oil and 300k here you come. the 1995-1996 models look a lot nicer IMO. 1997-1998 impreza and Legacy's with EJ22 are equally robust but are interference engines so if the timing belt breaks you have valve damage. not a big deal if you just replace all the timing components though. plan on a complete timing belt job when you get one: new timing belt kit (tensioners, idlers, belt), cam seal, crank seal, reseal the oil pump, water pump with Subaru water pump gasket, Subaru thermostat, valve cover gaskets, NGK plugs, and quality spark plug wires. change the transmission fluid and front differential oil. buy a good car and do that and you're not likely to have many issues for 100,000 miles. the best newer candidate is a 2001-2004 Outback H6 3.0 engine. But they're not stellar on gas...they do okay depending what kind of driving you do and are light on the gas pedal. No timing belt to maintain. Replace the two serpentine pulleys ($10 in parts, 30 minutes labor), that's about the only common issue on them.

good point miles - they can get corroded really bad. they aren't meant to be replaced, but if they're bad enough it might be worth it or save you gobs of time wire brushing/cleaning them.

if you want a reliable 1996-1999 Outback with the EJ25 the best option requires a little legwork but you end up with a far better end product: 1. buy one with a blown EJ25 - since they're such bad motors they're easily found all day, every day with blown engines and cheap. $300 - $1,000. 2. install an EJ22 - it so happens that's it's a direct, plug and play swap. excellent engine, one of Subaru's best engines they've ever made. don't overheat or run them low on oil and about as easy and inexpensive 300,000 miles as you can get. $500 vehicle, $300 engine, $500 install, $300 in preventative maitnenance (timing belt, seals, water pump) - and you're in $1,600 with a vehicle that easily makes 100,000+ inexpensive and reliable miles. it requires a bit of time to organize but well worth it if you like reliability and economy.

2001 - the spark plugs are a bear to do and valve cover gasktes as well. but they're only done like every 100,000 miles. if there's no record of them being done maybe you could work them into the deal before buying it fromt he dealer? they were due at 100,000 miles.

avoid the 1998 - that has the worst engine Subaru has ever made in it. EJ25 - they blow headgaskets all the time. they're not a bad engine really - but they are Subaru's worst. H6's are awesome - i've got two for a reason and have helped friends get a bunch of them, including just last week a friend got one. great, reliable platforms. 2001: check for rear subframe rust - known issue drive it hard, get it to down shift, and check for timing chain noise - 2001's had some weak guide issues, rarely an issue but test. replace the two serpentine pulley bearings immediately when you get it - can be done for $10 and in 20 minutes, very easy. can also replace each pulley with a DAYCO part number as well. though it's not listed in the store, you'll have to ask here if you get the vehicle. or i've already posted it elsewhere.

you don't replace headbolts on Subaru's. if you've driven it a year with blown headgaskets i don't know that i would even bother doing them at this point. though EJ22's are on the easy side. sealer doesn't do good things to vehicles and it sounds like it's had a steady regimen of it. when driven for awhile with blown headgaskets the aluminum wears away at the breach, so there could be damage to the head and/or block. i don't ever recommend using block sealer of any kind, it's never a good repair - but at this point why not just keeping dumping it in and limping it along? if you do it, find the thread on how to resurface your own heads, it's really easy and should be done.

what he said - replace everything - all pulleys and tensioner too. do *not* use an aftermarket water pump gasket, they're flimsy, thing cardboard junk. get the metal one from Subaru. and yes they're really easy - once the timing belt is off there's like 6 10mm bolts and the pump is off, very easy. and the metal gasket require little clean up.

have the fluid being completely bled out of the entire system? new brake pad retaining clips, slides cleaned up, regrease, replaced if necessary, new boots where needed? bigger calipers don't stop a car any quicker. nearly all Subaru brakes interchange if you want to go bigger. yes WRX stuff swaps right over. larger caliper brackets run into wheels and require 16" or 17" wheels depending which calipers you get. search for Jamal brake caliper thread and it's got a lot of information there. tires make the biggest difference in braking difference. larger brakes will make no difference in stopping distance unless you're racing on a track or towing. a properly operating brake system is going to activate the ABS or lock up the wheels. if you have the smaller brakes ever made or the biggest brakes ever made and both lock the wheels up, which a properly operating brake system does - you'll get the same stopping distance. fluid completely bled, new hardware (clips, boots, pins if they're corroded, etc) will make them perform much better and so some people report improvements after any brake job (same calipers or different). oh man you got gobs of options on Subarus, just about anything. all Subaru rims are 5x100 and interchangeable except 2005+ WTi, SVX...and maybe Tribeca rims. So you've got lots of options, very easy to do. the only issue is what you already asked about - larger brakes require larger wheels, so depends what you current have, what calipers you want, etc. but i dont' see your vehicle listed.

this: buying a car when it's not an immediate need or annoyance is a HUGE advantage for making a good purchase. i have multiple vehicles and generally never need to look for a car. i just rotate them out as i see good fits/deals.

awesome. the rear subframe rotted through and none of the bolts sheared off? nice! the even tread and no cupping seems odd if the alignment is really bad. but you know it's off and had all that stuff apart so makes perfect sense to start there and nowhere else.

brand is benign. change it often and use synthetic in turbo engines. other than that they all meet basic specifications and your issues making high mileages won't be oil related, so it's a pointless question. unless you're towing huge loads, racing, or other extreme conditions but i doubt that.

they don't do that all that often, i've only ever had one break off, all the rest have come out. i've got a bunch of them. lots of us have used crank sensors - i could mail you however many used ones you want. paypal $8 and i'll send two, keep one in the glove box as a spare. i just bash them apart with assorted screw drivers, punches, nails, etc. they're all plastic and 134 miles of hair thin copper wire once you get down deep enough and some weak metal. they aren't hard to get out - just have an assortment of goodies like that and start breaking it to pieces. have a couple thin/stout screw drivers to drive between the sensor outer casing and the aluminum of the block/oil pump. it'll start to cave inward and break it's bond.

i've removed them before when they broke off - it's not that hard actually. annoying to do when it should just come out, but in the end it's only a few minutes to get it out and you're done. do not buy new - just get a used one, or two for pocket change. they don't fail often enough to worry about and if you antiseize everything up it'll come back out no problem if you ever need to replace it again. new is overkill. i'll send you a "newer" style 1995+ used crank sensor for $5 if you want one to play with and attempt. your idea of converting sounds like a good option if it's physically the same size. like fairtax said it's just a basic pick up.

i think it's your tires: that means little in the snow, most people underestimate tire performance regarding snow, particularly in Ohio where flat roads are and easy to drive when it snows. 1. not all tires are great in the snow - a FWD with Nokian Happs is going to perform better often times than a 4WD Subaru with regular tires in flat land. 2. age matters profusely. i've seen "new" tires be so terrible that the ABS couldn't stop the car on steep inclines, it keeps pulsing and the car will not stop (you can google/search subaru forums with other people having the same issues - *swearing* their tires have tread on them, doesn't matter), have to pull the emergency brake to stop the car. that's with nearly full tread - but the rubber is old or dried out and no good in snow. how many bolts did you have shear off and how bad was it getting them out on the rusted crossmember?

it's 30% beyond the age limit, forget mileage. it's 105,000 miles/10 years, that belt is 13+ years old. replace all the timing components - belt, 3 pulleys, and tensioner. amazon has gates kits for $125-$130 with all that. they do break - google or search any subaru forum, it happens and that motor will bend valves, i've repaired them before due to broken timing belts. i've finished a timing kit in 45 minutes before. if the timing cover bolts aren't rusty it's an easy job and not that bad. if they are rusty, get some tips from us and you can do it sooner rather than later. If they replaced one spark plug (instead of them all) due to being cheap - i'd be changing the oil, transmission fluid, and front differential oil in case they were cheap on that stuff too. hopefully they didn't replace one due to some existing issue. most of us look for like-new reliability and another 100,000 miles/10 years and replace the cam seals and reseal the oil pump and maybe the water pump while we're in there. but if they're not leaking the seals can generally be risked and EJ water pumps rarely fail so you can skip that if you're trying to skimp on some area. all of those items require pulling the timing belt to repair and the seals will eventually leak. i'd call it lucky or rare for a seal that doesn't leak by 200,000 miles. other than first time learning curve getting the cam bolt off - it's only one bolt to replace the cam seals and only takes a couple of minutes. there are some parts you want to use Subaru only on: water pump gasket, original OEM spark plugs (though you can get those in any auto parts store), seals and orings (cam seals, crank seal, oil pump oring), thermostat

CCR for rebuilt used: www.car-part.com JDM depot for used engines transmissions are robust. frankly i'm beginning to think auto's are less maintenance and more robust now days. just depends. driven gently and maintained well the manuals easily exceed 200,000 miles. otherwise they can have input shaft bearing, synchro, and clutch issues of course. auto's easily make 200,000+ miles with little more than fluid changes. rotate tires frequently to protect center differential (manual) or rear transfer bits (auto).

1. reboot your axle if it's a SUbaru axle (green inner cup), don't replace it. 2. buy a used Subaru axle and reboot it do not replace with aftermarket. if you're unsure why, google or serach any subaru forum about aftermarket axles. very unreliable and issue prone waste of time. +1 to miles comments. alignment not necessary if you pay attention. mark the top bolt "head" (not the nut). that will retain alignment. mark with a marker like he said or sometimes i use a hammer and chisel and strike a notch into the head and knuckle at the same place.

lots of questions, i'll try to address them. #1 THERE IS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT if you get an EJ22 with EGR. you can get one without EGR and swap the vacuum hoses, there's a post on here on how to do it - very easy. but no matter - if that scares you then reread #1 above. if you get a 1995 EJ22 there is nothing to do different than an EJ25 replacement. if someone will swap an EJ25 this is the same job. i just put together a 1995 EJ22 (timing kit, water pump, rear separator, reseal oil pump, plugs, etc) for a friend to have his mechanic swap into his 1998 OBW EJ25 which blew headgaskets...same exact thing you're dealing with. his mechanic had no experience doing this so i gave him my infomrmation - but never contacted me with questions because it's easy. this is why i recommended to get a 1995 automatic EJ22 - distance, uncertainy of mechanics, etc. simple is good. other EJ22's are easy to swap too - with the points noted. i wouldn't "fault" the mechanics or junkyard guys for not knowing, they're not being shady or untrustworthy, they're just speaking about what they know not. they're accustomed to hearing all sorts of non-mechanically inclined questions on the phone from desparate people and probably lumped you in with them and they assume they know more than they actually do. junkyards do decades worth of every make, model, vehicle made. they can't possibly get into all the nuances and tricks of one specific platform, that would be an inordinate amount of information to handle. also the guys answering phones and the guys pulling parts are often not one in the same so the phone guys may have no hands on experience just how similar the engines are - on paper they do appear a lot different and many manufacturers engines and with more complicating electrnoics, can be vastly different when talking different sizes. as to the EJ25 being "the good motor" - that can be true and not true. it is more power and in todays world, that sells. it is nearly unheard of for consumers to buy a "reliable" engine. they want new, faster, better, etc. i mean consumers say they want reliability but they really don't have enough technical leverage or experience for companies to take them seriously so the market isn't driven by it very much. anyway, the EJ25 is the "good motor" in that: 1. more power 2. it came in all the higher end vehicles - outback, leather, Impreza RS model, etc... 3. those higher end vehicles are owned by people with more money, have fewer owners, are more well taken care of (large sample size), and tend to stick around longer. lower end vehicles get trashed, used as beaters, poorly maintained and aren't worth as much due to them being lower end models so they're sent to the junk/scrap yard quicker - so to a junk yard they look like worse motors in some ways. so it seems like the "better" motor. in terms of reliability, the EJ22 is one of Subaru's best motors they've ever made and the EJ25D is Subaru's worst motor they've ever made....or at least since the 1970's, i don't have experience beyond that. don't run them low on oil or run them hot and an EJ22 easily see 300,000+ inexpensive miles or however long you care to keep doing easy maintenance on the vehicle.

what he said, you don't seem to be hearing him but it's ***really*** easy. i've done it before, if you think there's a problem then you're simply not seeing it correctly, which is easy to have happen when we only get a keyboard to talk with, kind of annoying, let's go grab a drink and discuss this!! use this combo: EJ251 block EJ25D heads EJ25D intake manifold basically you're only swapping the block so nothing matters, there's no exhaust or intake or wiring involved since that's all associated with the heads which you're keeping original to the vehicle, very easy swap. get a used EJ25 head for $50-$75 and you're done

everything you need to know is in the first reply i posted in this thread. i suggested a 95 automatic EJ22 because of the situation - away from home and traveling. you do have other options. this posting looks almost exactly like some of my writing, but nonethess yes you can use these EJ22's: yes it's accurate with these notes: 1. 95 automatics always have EGR and dual port exhaust so they are the easiest swap. 2. you can use an EJ22 without EGR with a simple vacuum hose swappage. very easy, there's a thread on this forum about it. ; 3. 96+ have single port exhaust and many places wont' sell the exhaust...so that's why i didn't recommend it for your situation. *** because you're confusing yourself by asking people that ***have never even tried it before*** LOL. don't listen to people with zero experience, that's not a good way to get the most accurate information. you will not get any more Subaru specific experience than on this forum, i will walk and talk circles around any Subaru technician or junk yard guy. I do swaps and interchange parts they can't even dream of doing - they have no idea what interchanges because they only swap what a computer tells them to swap. you have a choice here: A. listen to people that have done this gobs of times and know what they're talking about (me, Miles, etc). B. listen to someone that's never even attempted it before and regurgitates what's on a computer screen I suggest going with option A. *** When I buy an engine i tell THEM what i want, i don't ask. don't ask them for swap information, they don't know crap. they sell engines...from all sorts of years, makes, models, and just regurgitate what a computer tells them. all the stuff about wiring and computers is just apocalpytic talk from someone reading a computer screen - they have no clue. if you pick the right EJ22 it's a bolt in and plug and play affair, it's exactly like installing another EJ25. 3. re-read the quoted portion that you copied/pasted from somewhere else i wrote - that tells you exactly what you need to know. 4. re-read my first reply to this thread - i listed engines available right now. you have no work to do - i already did it for you. EJ25 and EJ25D is the same thing for this discussion. EJ25D is the EJ25 variation used in your vehicle. yes - DOHC engine. Google or search Subaru forums for EJ25 headgasket - there are threats of lawsuits, entire websites and forums dedicated to the EJ25 headgasket issue. if someone doesn't know about it then you can pretty much ignore everything else they say because they don't know anything about Subarus if they don't know that. no way i'd want a used EJ25D and their headgasket debacles - again don't listen to me or anyone else do a subaru forum or google search and you'll see how prevalent it is. the EJ25D is the most ominious of all the EJ25's as well, making it even less desirable. the EJ22 is one of the best engines Subaru has ever made, very robust and they run forever. replace seals and timing belts and you're golden. the rear separator is the one item that must be done with the engine out of the vehicle, so i'd say that's the only required item to replace right now. EJ22 timing belts and seals are really easy to do in the car so not a big deal. i'd rather do it when the motor is out but it's not a big deal and can be done in an hour or two once the engine is in the car. but shops charge $40o - $700 for timing belt jobs so it can be pricey too - nice to wrap it up now if possible and you're paying someone else to do the labor.

reboot at all costs. aftermarkets suck really bad. just google or search any subaru forum, there's gobs and gobs of aftermarket axle issues. the reason it seems ambiguous and you'll see mixed reviews is that folks that only do an axle here or there don't have any problems - of course not, we're not saying every single axle is bad out of the box. read from people that have done dozens of axles and they all say the same thing - aftermarket axles have a high percentage of failure - not only out of the box but a year or two down the road too. Numbchux (user here) says he's never seen an aftermarket make it 2 years...probably an exaggeration on a wider scale, but it's a real issue. also Subaru boots last a few years, aftermarket boots often only last a couple. Subaru boot = cheaper and better end product. and replacing the boot, while messy, isn't terrible hard at all as long as you got the right tool for crimping/installing the bands.

no - get a 1995 EJ22 from an automatic - legacy or impreza, doesn't matter. the engines are much cheaper, more reliable. 15 miles from Newark, 718-497-3900 has two from legacy's for $250 but doesn't say auto or manual a bunch more listed on car-part.com only a few miles from Newark for $375 and $400 all day long. call and find one that's from an automatic. 888-855-7278 65 miles away with one from an Impreza for $300 and it's an automatic. save a few hundred dollars and more reliable and not an interference engine...way better in every regard. you want to replace the timing belt and pulleys (and tensioner on the EJ25). i'd also replace the cam seals, cam orings (if equipped), crank seal, and rear separator plate with the metal variety while the engine is out. 1995 EJ22 timing belt kit: http://www.amazon.com/Gates-TCK254-Timing-Belt-Component/dp/B000C2ULA0/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1390860179&sr=8-11&keywords=Subaru+timing+kit EJ25 timing belt kit: http://www.amazon.com/Gates-TCK304-Timing-Belt-Component/dp/B002R8HMAY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390860179&sr=8-1&keywords=Subaru+timing+kit technically a manual transmission will work you just have to move a vacuum line to get rid of the check engine light since those don't have EGR. **** a used EJ25D is a headgasket risk.